On the pitch, 2023 has been a year of continued dominance. Manchester City won their third Premier League title in a row on their way to an historic treble. Barcelona Femeni conquered the league and Champions League for the second time in three seasons. And there still doesn’t seem to be a height that Jude Bellingham can’t reach.
Off the pitch, while the game is still not as accommodating as we’d like it to be, there were some real moments of change to be inspired by. From the way clubs have started tapping into the value of culture to the enduring lack of ethnic diversity in English women’s football, the sport’s relationship with culture and society will always dictate how much progress is being made.
As the year finally draws to a close, the VERSUS team has picked some of our most important reflections and lessons from football in 2023.
Football hasn’t always been the most accommodating to Muslim women. As recently as 2007, FIFA banned all forms of headdress before overturning the ban seven years later. The French Football Federation has also banned hijabs in line with France’s ridiculous ‘Veil Law’. Despite this, 2023 has seen two trailblazers flying the flag for young Muslim girls around the world. In July, Nouhaila Benzina made history as the first player to wear a hijab at the World Cup representing Morocco. While Heba Saadieh was the first Palestinian and hijabi referee at the same tournament. Their commitment to their faith, identity and love for football serves as an inspiration for all those who struggle to see themselves in the sport. No matter what lawmakers decide, football is a sport for everyone. Here’s to seeing more Nouhailas and Hebas in the future.
2. Clubs Are Starting To Understand The Value Of Culture
Going on strike is supposed to be a last resort. But in women’s football this year, it’s proven to be quite a common catalyst for change. In September, players in the Spanish women’s top flight went on strike over minimum wage disputes for professional players. Just a week later, the base salary was raised by €5,000 to €21,000 but is still below Spain’s national average income. After becoming the first Caribbean side to reach the knockout stages of a Women’s World Cup, Jamaica decided to boycott their October games as players hadn’t received bonus payments among many other instances of continued mistreatment. It only took a few days for the JFF to rectify this and announce the Reggae Girlz had been paid. But the fact these players feel there’s no other option than to stop playing the sport they love in order to receive the bare minimum shows how much the game has to grow.
4. Pro Players Are Looking Out for the 99%
So much of football is about the 1% who make it, but the 99% who don’t end up becoming professional ballers are often an afterthought. As after-care develops at club level, 2023 has seen a more player-led approach to support for young people released from academies. From Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ‘After Academy’ project which will connect released players with off-pitch job roles, to Wilfried Zaha’s involvement at AFC Croydon Athletic alongside ex-Crystal Palace Head of Player Care, Danny Young, pro ballers are using their stature and experience to help those whose on-pitch careers didn’t have a fairytale ending. The lack of care shown to young players once they’ve been cut from the system has long been one of football’s great shames, and it’s inspiring to see solutions coming from those who know the system better than anyone else.
5. Ballers Are Staying Front Row for Fashion Week
2023 saw ballers firmly cemented as first names on the team sheet for some of the world’s biggest fashion brands. A full squad’s-worth of elite footballing talent descended on Paris for Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton show in June. Marcus, Trent and Jadon were seen just a few seats down from LeBron, Beyoncé and Rihanna at the French capital’s hottest event. Newly-appointed LV ambassador Jude Bellingham and football fashion drip lord Jules Kounde were front and centre as standard bearers for the beautiful game’s sartorial legitimacy. Later in the year, London rivalries were put aside as Son Heung-Min, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze styled out together at Daniel Lee’s debut Burberry show. A baller front row has ceased to be an exciting anomaly: instead they are a growing bloc quickly becoming part of the fashion furniture. Expect this space to grow further in 2024.
6. Women’s Football Still Lacks Ethnic Diversity
The 2023 Women’s World Cup saw women of colour like Linda Caicedo, Hinata Miyazawa and Salma Paralluelo shine on football’s biggest stage. However, ethnic diversity in the women’s game is still a problem that English football needs to come to terms with. England’s WWC squad included just two players of Black heritage, and this issue persists in club football. Arsenal’s infamous squad photo only added insult to injury, when considering the immense cultural and ethnic diversity of the area. In the past, young Gunners had Rachel Yankey and Anita Asante to look up to. Now, to find a face that mirrors their own, there are only a handful of players to choose from, both in England and abroad. Women’s football can’t ignore this problem.
7. We Need More Tunnel Fits in Football
The NBA has given the world many things. Michael Jordan, ‘Shaqtin’ A Fool’, that little gasp you do when a normal sized person walks onto a court populated with giants. Its latest export is an off-court phenomenon which has transformed the 20 metre walk from team bus to dressing room. Tunnel Fits captures players’ pre-game look and shows it to the world, pitting your favourite ballers against each other in a never-ending battle of fits. Until this year, TF was an exclusively American pursuit and, despite its obvious universality, hadn’t managed to break into the world of football. Then, in January, FC Barcelona’s hugely popular take on Tunnel Fits gave us a glimpse into the minds of the world’s elite players and helped cement Jules Koundé as the game’s best dressed. The Premier League continues to resist but Barca’s trailblazing has laid the groundwork for a sport-wide TF revolution.
8. Misogyny In Football Still Runs Deep
Despite the continued expansion of women’s football, 2023 unearthed some of the game’s most harrowing accounts of gender-based abuse. Luis Rubiales reluctantly resigned from the Spanish Football Federation after sexually assaulting Women’s World Cup winner, Jenni Hermoso. Elite players continued to be involved in sexual assault and/or domestic violence cases, while other pro ballers inconceivably started an online campaign blaming women for false accusations. Joey Barton’s inane, yet incredibly damaging comments, stating women shouldn’t be allowed to work in men’s football, only emboldened others to share such views. According to Kick It Out, reports of sexism and misogyny increased by 400% earlier this year. One thing has become increasingly clear: the women who work it continue to routinely suffer at the hands of those who think they own it. We need to keep on calling out injustice when we see it.
9. Football Retreated from Politics and Protest
Football does not exist in a vacuum. Political and social contexts have always shaped the game we love, and since 2020 it’s been common to see the game’s individuals and organisations use its platform to challenge inequality and injustice around the world. This year, something changed. Jordan Henderon’s move to Saudi Arabia destroyed his role as football’s most vocal LGBTQ+ ally. Football’s fight against racism reverted to a two-week campaign instead of an ‘always on’ conversation. Israel and Palestine flags were banned from stadiums in England. Players across Europe were punished for supporting the Palestinian cause, with Mainz 05 terminating Anwar El Ghazi’s contract. This was the year football lost its courage and authority to tackle social change.
On the pitch, 2023 has been a year of continued dominance. Manchester City won their third Premier League title in a row on their way to an historic treble. Barcelona Femeni conquered the league and Champions League for the second time in three seasons. And there still doesn’t seem to be a height that Jude Bellingham can’t reach.
Off the pitch, while the game is still not as accommodating as we’d like it to be, there were some real moments of change to be inspired by. From the way clubs have started tapping into the value of culture to the enduring lack of ethnic diversity in English women’s football, the sport’s relationship with culture and society will always dictate how much progress is being made.
As the year finally draws to a close, the VERSUS team has picked some of our most important reflections and lessons from football in 2023.
Football hasn’t always been the most accommodating to Muslim women. As recently as 2007, FIFA banned all forms of headdress before overturning the ban seven years later. The French Football Federation has also banned hijabs in line with France’s ridiculous ‘Veil Law’. Despite this, 2023 has seen two trailblazers flying the flag for young Muslim girls around the world. In July, Nouhaila Benzina made history as the first player to wear a hijab at the World Cup representing Morocco. While Heba Saadieh was the first Palestinian and hijabi referee at the same tournament. Their commitment to their faith, identity and love for football serves as an inspiration for all those who struggle to see themselves in the sport. No matter what lawmakers decide, football is a sport for everyone. Here’s to seeing more Nouhailas and Hebas in the future.
2. Clubs Are Starting To Understand The Value Of Culture
Going on strike is supposed to be a last resort. But in women’s football this year, it’s proven to be quite a common catalyst for change. In September, players in the Spanish women’s top flight went on strike over minimum wage disputes for professional players. Just a week later, the base salary was raised by €5,000 to €21,000 but is still below Spain’s national average income. After becoming the first Caribbean side to reach the knockout stages of a Women’s World Cup, Jamaica decided to boycott their October games as players hadn’t received bonus payments among many other instances of continued mistreatment. It only took a few days for the JFF to rectify this and announce the Reggae Girlz had been paid. But the fact these players feel there’s no other option than to stop playing the sport they love in order to receive the bare minimum shows how much the game has to grow.
4. Pro Players Are Looking Out for the 99%
So much of football is about the 1% who make it, but the 99% who don’t end up becoming professional ballers are often an afterthought. As after-care develops at club level, 2023 has seen a more player-led approach to support for young people released from academies. From Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ‘After Academy’ project which will connect released players with off-pitch job roles, to Wilfried Zaha’s involvement at AFC Croydon Athletic alongside ex-Crystal Palace Head of Player Care, Danny Young, pro ballers are using their stature and experience to help those whose on-pitch careers didn’t have a fairytale ending. The lack of care shown to young players once they’ve been cut from the system has long been one of football’s great shames, and it’s inspiring to see solutions coming from those who know the system better than anyone else.
5. Ballers Are Staying Front Row for Fashion Week
2023 saw ballers firmly cemented as first names on the team sheet for some of the world’s biggest fashion brands. A full squad’s-worth of elite footballing talent descended on Paris for Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton show in June. Marcus, Trent and Jadon were seen just a few seats down from LeBron, Beyoncé and Rihanna at the French capital’s hottest event. Newly-appointed LV ambassador Jude Bellingham and football fashion drip lord Jules Kounde were front and centre as standard bearers for the beautiful game’s sartorial legitimacy. Later in the year, London rivalries were put aside as Son Heung-Min, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze styled out together at Daniel Lee’s debut Burberry show. A baller front row has ceased to be an exciting anomaly: instead they are a growing bloc quickly becoming part of the fashion furniture. Expect this space to grow further in 2024.
6. Women’s Football Still Lacks Ethnic Diversity
The 2023 Women’s World Cup saw women of colour like Linda Caicedo, Hinata Miyazawa and Salma Paralluelo shine on football’s biggest stage. However, ethnic diversity in the women’s game is still a problem that English football needs to come to terms with. England’s WWC squad included just two players of Black heritage, and this issue persists in club football. Arsenal’s infamous squad photo only added insult to injury, when considering the immense cultural and ethnic diversity of the area. In the past, young Gunners had Rachel Yankey and Anita Asante to look up to. Now, to find a face that mirrors their own, there are only a handful of players to choose from, both in England and abroad. Women’s football can’t ignore this problem.
7. We Need More Tunnel Fits in Football
The NBA has given the world many things. Michael Jordan, ‘Shaqtin’ A Fool’, that little gasp you do when a normal sized person walks onto a court populated with giants. Its latest export is an off-court phenomenon which has transformed the 20 metre walk from team bus to dressing room. Tunnel Fits captures players’ pre-game look and shows it to the world, pitting your favourite ballers against each other in a never-ending battle of fits. Until this year, TF was an exclusively American pursuit and, despite its obvious universality, hadn’t managed to break into the world of football. Then, in January, FC Barcelona’s hugely popular take on Tunnel Fits gave us a glimpse into the minds of the world’s elite players and helped cement Jules Koundé as the game’s best dressed. The Premier League continues to resist but Barca’s trailblazing has laid the groundwork for a sport-wide TF revolution.
8. Misogyny In Football Still Runs Deep
Despite the continued expansion of women’s football, 2023 unearthed some of the game’s most harrowing accounts of gender-based abuse. Luis Rubiales reluctantly resigned from the Spanish Football Federation after sexually assaulting Women’s World Cup winner, Jenni Hermoso. Elite players continued to be involved in sexual assault and/or domestic violence cases, while other pro ballers inconceivably started an online campaign blaming women for false accusations. Joey Barton’s inane, yet incredibly damaging comments, stating women shouldn’t be allowed to work in men’s football, only emboldened others to share such views. According to Kick It Out, reports of sexism and misogyny increased by 400% earlier this year. One thing has become increasingly clear: the women who work it continue to routinely suffer at the hands of those who think they own it. We need to keep on calling out injustice when we see it.
9. Football Retreated from Politics and Protest
Football does not exist in a vacuum. Political and social contexts have always shaped the game we love, and since 2020 it’s been common to see the game’s individuals and organisations use its platform to challenge inequality and injustice around the world. This year, something changed. Jordan Henderon’s move to Saudi Arabia destroyed his role as football’s most vocal LGBTQ+ ally. Football’s fight against racism reverted to a two-week campaign instead of an ‘always on’ conversation. Israel and Palestine flags were banned from stadiums in England. Players across Europe were punished for supporting the Palestinian cause, with Mainz 05 terminating Anwar El Ghazi’s contract. This was the year football lost its courage and authority to tackle social change.
On the pitch, 2023 has been a year of continued dominance. Manchester City won their third Premier League title in a row on their way to an historic treble. Barcelona Femeni conquered the league and Champions League for the second time in three seasons. And there still doesn’t seem to be a height that Jude Bellingham can’t reach.
Off the pitch, while the game is still not as accommodating as we’d like it to be, there were some real moments of change to be inspired by. From the way clubs have started tapping into the value of culture to the enduring lack of ethnic diversity in English women’s football, the sport’s relationship with culture and society will always dictate how much progress is being made.
As the year finally draws to a close, the VERSUS team has picked some of our most important reflections and lessons from football in 2023.
No items found.
1. There Is A Place For Muslim Women In Football
Football hasn’t always been the most accommodating to Muslim women. As recently as 2007, FIFA banned all forms of headdress before overturning the ban seven years later. The French Football Federation has also banned hijabs in line with France’s ridiculous ‘Veil Law’. Despite this, 2023 has seen two trailblazers flying the flag for young Muslim girls around the world. In July, Nouhaila Benzina made history as the first player to wear a hijab at the World Cup representing Morocco. While Heba Saadieh was the first Palestinian and hijabi referee at the same tournament. Their commitment to their faith, identity and love for football serves as an inspiration for all those who struggle to see themselves in the sport. No matter what lawmakers decide, football is a sport for everyone. Here’s to seeing more Nouhailas and Hebas in the future.
2. Clubs Are Starting To Understand The Value Of Culture
Going on strike is supposed to be a last resort. But in women’s football this year, it’s proven to be quite a common catalyst for change. In September, players in the Spanish women’s top flight went on strike over minimum wage disputes for professional players. Just a week later, the base salary was raised by €5,000 to €21,000 but is still below Spain’s national average income. After becoming the first Caribbean side to reach the knockout stages of a Women’s World Cup, Jamaica decided to boycott their October games as players hadn’t received bonus payments among many other instances of continued mistreatment. It only took a few days for the JFF to rectify this and announce the Reggae Girlz had been paid. But the fact these players feel there’s no other option than to stop playing the sport they love in order to receive the bare minimum shows how much the game has to grow.
4. Pro Players Are Looking Out for the 99%
So much of football is about the 1% who make it, but the 99% who don’t end up becoming professional ballers are often an afterthought. As after-care develops at club level, 2023 has seen a more player-led approach to support for young people released from academies. From Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ‘After Academy’ project which will connect released players with off-pitch job roles, to Wilfried Zaha’s involvement at AFC Croydon Athletic alongside ex-Crystal Palace Head of Player Care, Danny Young, pro ballers are using their stature and experience to help those whose on-pitch careers didn’t have a fairytale ending. The lack of care shown to young players once they’ve been cut from the system has long been one of football’s great shames, and it’s inspiring to see solutions coming from those who know the system better than anyone else.
5. Ballers Are Staying Front Row for Fashion Week
2023 saw ballers firmly cemented as first names on the team sheet for some of the world’s biggest fashion brands. A full squad’s-worth of elite footballing talent descended on Paris for Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton show in June. Marcus, Trent and Jadon were seen just a few seats down from LeBron, Beyoncé and Rihanna at the French capital’s hottest event. Newly-appointed LV ambassador Jude Bellingham and football fashion drip lord Jules Kounde were front and centre as standard bearers for the beautiful game’s sartorial legitimacy. Later in the year, London rivalries were put aside as Son Heung-Min, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze styled out together at Daniel Lee’s debut Burberry show. A baller front row has ceased to be an exciting anomaly: instead they are a growing bloc quickly becoming part of the fashion furniture. Expect this space to grow further in 2024.
6. Women’s Football Still Lacks Ethnic Diversity
The 2023 Women’s World Cup saw women of colour like Linda Caicedo, Hinata Miyazawa and Salma Paralluelo shine on football’s biggest stage. However, ethnic diversity in the women’s game is still a problem that English football needs to come to terms with. England’s WWC squad included just two players of Black heritage, and this issue persists in club football. Arsenal’s infamous squad photo only added insult to injury, when considering the immense cultural and ethnic diversity of the area. In the past, young Gunners had Rachel Yankey and Anita Asante to look up to. Now, to find a face that mirrors their own, there are only a handful of players to choose from, both in England and abroad. Women’s football can’t ignore this problem.
7. We Need More Tunnel Fits in Football
The NBA has given the world many things. Michael Jordan, ‘Shaqtin’ A Fool’, that little gasp you do when a normal sized person walks onto a court populated with giants. Its latest export is an off-court phenomenon which has transformed the 20 metre walk from team bus to dressing room. Tunnel Fits captures players’ pre-game look and shows it to the world, pitting your favourite ballers against each other in a never-ending battle of fits. Until this year, TF was an exclusively American pursuit and, despite its obvious universality, hadn’t managed to break into the world of football. Then, in January, FC Barcelona’s hugely popular take on Tunnel Fits gave us a glimpse into the minds of the world’s elite players and helped cement Jules Koundé as the game’s best dressed. The Premier League continues to resist but Barca’s trailblazing has laid the groundwork for a sport-wide TF revolution.
8. Misogyny In Football Still Runs Deep
Despite the continued expansion of women’s football, 2023 unearthed some of the game’s most harrowing accounts of gender-based abuse. Luis Rubiales reluctantly resigned from the Spanish Football Federation after sexually assaulting Women’s World Cup winner, Jenni Hermoso. Elite players continued to be involved in sexual assault and/or domestic violence cases, while other pro ballers inconceivably started an online campaign blaming women for false accusations. Joey Barton’s inane, yet incredibly damaging comments, stating women shouldn’t be allowed to work in men’s football, only emboldened others to share such views. According to Kick It Out, reports of sexism and misogyny increased by 400% earlier this year. One thing has become increasingly clear: the women who work it continue to routinely suffer at the hands of those who think they own it. We need to keep on calling out injustice when we see it.
9. Football Retreated from Politics and Protest
Football does not exist in a vacuum. Political and social contexts have always shaped the game we love, and since 2020 it’s been common to see the game’s individuals and organisations use its platform to challenge inequality and injustice around the world. This year, something changed. Jordan Henderon’s move to Saudi Arabia destroyed his role as football’s most vocal LGBTQ+ ally. Football’s fight against racism reverted to a two-week campaign instead of an ‘always on’ conversation. Israel and Palestine flags were banned from stadiums in England. Players across Europe were punished for supporting the Palestinian cause, with Mainz 05 terminating Anwar El Ghazi’s contract. This was the year football lost its courage and authority to tackle social change.
On the pitch, 2023 has been a year of continued dominance. Manchester City won their third Premier League title in a row on their way to an historic treble. Barcelona Femeni conquered the league and Champions League for the second time in three seasons. And there still doesn’t seem to be a height that Jude Bellingham can’t reach.
Off the pitch, while the game is still not as accommodating as we’d like it to be, there were some real moments of change to be inspired by. From the way clubs have started tapping into the value of culture to the enduring lack of ethnic diversity in English women’s football, the sport’s relationship with culture and society will always dictate how much progress is being made.
As the year finally draws to a close, the VERSUS team has picked some of our most important reflections and lessons from football in 2023.
No items found.
1. There Is A Place For Muslim Women In Football
Football hasn’t always been the most accommodating to Muslim women. As recently as 2007, FIFA banned all forms of headdress before overturning the ban seven years later. The French Football Federation has also banned hijabs in line with France’s ridiculous ‘Veil Law’. Despite this, 2023 has seen two trailblazers flying the flag for young Muslim girls around the world. In July, Nouhaila Benzina made history as the first player to wear a hijab at the World Cup representing Morocco. While Heba Saadieh was the first Palestinian and hijabi referee at the same tournament. Their commitment to their faith, identity and love for football serves as an inspiration for all those who struggle to see themselves in the sport. No matter what lawmakers decide, football is a sport for everyone. Here’s to seeing more Nouhailas and Hebas in the future.
2. Clubs Are Starting To Understand The Value Of Culture
Going on strike is supposed to be a last resort. But in women’s football this year, it’s proven to be quite a common catalyst for change. In September, players in the Spanish women’s top flight went on strike over minimum wage disputes for professional players. Just a week later, the base salary was raised by €5,000 to €21,000 but is still below Spain’s national average income. After becoming the first Caribbean side to reach the knockout stages of a Women’s World Cup, Jamaica decided to boycott their October games as players hadn’t received bonus payments among many other instances of continued mistreatment. It only took a few days for the JFF to rectify this and announce the Reggae Girlz had been paid. But the fact these players feel there’s no other option than to stop playing the sport they love in order to receive the bare minimum shows how much the game has to grow.
4. Pro Players Are Looking Out for the 99%
So much of football is about the 1% who make it, but the 99% who don’t end up becoming professional ballers are often an afterthought. As after-care develops at club level, 2023 has seen a more player-led approach to support for young people released from academies. From Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ‘After Academy’ project which will connect released players with off-pitch job roles, to Wilfried Zaha’s involvement at AFC Croydon Athletic alongside ex-Crystal Palace Head of Player Care, Danny Young, pro ballers are using their stature and experience to help those whose on-pitch careers didn’t have a fairytale ending. The lack of care shown to young players once they’ve been cut from the system has long been one of football’s great shames, and it’s inspiring to see solutions coming from those who know the system better than anyone else.
5. Ballers Are Staying Front Row for Fashion Week
2023 saw ballers firmly cemented as first names on the team sheet for some of the world’s biggest fashion brands. A full squad’s-worth of elite footballing talent descended on Paris for Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton show in June. Marcus, Trent and Jadon were seen just a few seats down from LeBron, Beyoncé and Rihanna at the French capital’s hottest event. Newly-appointed LV ambassador Jude Bellingham and football fashion drip lord Jules Kounde were front and centre as standard bearers for the beautiful game’s sartorial legitimacy. Later in the year, London rivalries were put aside as Son Heung-Min, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze styled out together at Daniel Lee’s debut Burberry show. A baller front row has ceased to be an exciting anomaly: instead they are a growing bloc quickly becoming part of the fashion furniture. Expect this space to grow further in 2024.
6. Women’s Football Still Lacks Ethnic Diversity
The 2023 Women’s World Cup saw women of colour like Linda Caicedo, Hinata Miyazawa and Salma Paralluelo shine on football’s biggest stage. However, ethnic diversity in the women’s game is still a problem that English football needs to come to terms with. England’s WWC squad included just two players of Black heritage, and this issue persists in club football. Arsenal’s infamous squad photo only added insult to injury, when considering the immense cultural and ethnic diversity of the area. In the past, young Gunners had Rachel Yankey and Anita Asante to look up to. Now, to find a face that mirrors their own, there are only a handful of players to choose from, both in England and abroad. Women’s football can’t ignore this problem.
7. We Need More Tunnel Fits in Football
The NBA has given the world many things. Michael Jordan, ‘Shaqtin’ A Fool’, that little gasp you do when a normal sized person walks onto a court populated with giants. Its latest export is an off-court phenomenon which has transformed the 20 metre walk from team bus to dressing room. Tunnel Fits captures players’ pre-game look and shows it to the world, pitting your favourite ballers against each other in a never-ending battle of fits. Until this year, TF was an exclusively American pursuit and, despite its obvious universality, hadn’t managed to break into the world of football. Then, in January, FC Barcelona’s hugely popular take on Tunnel Fits gave us a glimpse into the minds of the world’s elite players and helped cement Jules Koundé as the game’s best dressed. The Premier League continues to resist but Barca’s trailblazing has laid the groundwork for a sport-wide TF revolution.
8. Misogyny In Football Still Runs Deep
Despite the continued expansion of women’s football, 2023 unearthed some of the game’s most harrowing accounts of gender-based abuse. Luis Rubiales reluctantly resigned from the Spanish Football Federation after sexually assaulting Women’s World Cup winner, Jenni Hermoso. Elite players continued to be involved in sexual assault and/or domestic violence cases, while other pro ballers inconceivably started an online campaign blaming women for false accusations. Joey Barton’s inane, yet incredibly damaging comments, stating women shouldn’t be allowed to work in men’s football, only emboldened others to share such views. According to Kick It Out, reports of sexism and misogyny increased by 400% earlier this year. One thing has become increasingly clear: the women who work it continue to routinely suffer at the hands of those who think they own it. We need to keep on calling out injustice when we see it.
9. Football Retreated from Politics and Protest
Football does not exist in a vacuum. Political and social contexts have always shaped the game we love, and since 2020 it’s been common to see the game’s individuals and organisations use its platform to challenge inequality and injustice around the world. This year, something changed. Jordan Henderon’s move to Saudi Arabia destroyed his role as football’s most vocal LGBTQ+ ally. Football’s fight against racism reverted to a two-week campaign instead of an ‘always on’ conversation. Israel and Palestine flags were banned from stadiums in England. Players across Europe were punished for supporting the Palestinian cause, with Mainz 05 terminating Anwar El Ghazi’s contract. This was the year football lost its courage and authority to tackle social change.
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